Biography: Malin Akerman

Malin Akerman was named one of Variety’s “10 Actors to Watch” in 2007, and the Swedish-Canadian actress has since become known for her sharp comedic timing and cover-girl good looks, while also wowing audiences with her touching dramatic performances. She recently wrapped production on Simon West’s actioner Stolen, starring alongside Nicolas Cage and Danny Huston.

At the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, Akerman shared the screen with Ryan Philippe and Taylor Kitsch in Steven Silver’s film The Bang Bang Club. The drama premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival and is based on the true-life experiences of four combat photographers capturing the final days of South African apartheid.

This past February, Akerman joined Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston in the Judd Apatow-produced comedy Wanderlust. The previous year, Akerman was seen in theaters nationwide in the 2010 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award Winner Happythankyoumoreplease. She joined Kate Mara, Zoe Kazan, and Josh Radnor in Radnor’s directorial debut. Also in March of that year, she appeared in Sebastian Gutierrez’s fun and sexy Elektra Luxx, which premiered at the 2010 SXSW Festival. In September 2010, Akerman starred in the charming indie rom-com The Romantics, directed by Galt Niederhoffer. The Romantics also premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and co-starred Katie Holmes, Anna Paquin, Josh Duhamel, Adam Brody and Elijah Wood. In October 2009, Akerman was seen in the Peter Billingsley-directed hit comedy Couples Retreat, opposite Vince Vaughn, Kristen Bell, Jason Bateman and Jon Favreau. In March of that same year, she co-starred as Laurie/Silk Spectre in Zack Snyder’s blockbuster Watchmen, which opened at number one with more than $50 million in box office sales. She was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for this role. A year prior, Akerman starred in the hit romantic comedy 27 Dresses, with Katherine Heigl, James Marsden and Edward Burns, under the direction of Anne Fletcher. Akerman then reunited with Fletcher to join Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in the romantic comedy The Proposal, which also topped the box office after its debut and has grossed more than $100 million to date.

In 2007, Akerman could be seen alongside Ben Stiller in the comedy The Heartbreak Kid, directed by the Farrelly brothers. She is often remembered for her delightful portrayal of wacky nut job Lila. Akerman’s other credits include Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle and The Brothers Solomon.

Despite her wide-ranging experience with feature films, Akerman is also no stranger to the small screen. Her breakthrough came in 2005 on the HBO series The Comeback, starring Lisa Kudrow as a washed up sitcom actress. Akerman gained the attention of both critics and audiences for her role as Juna Millken, a popular model/musician who befriends Kudrow’s character as she tries to resuscitate her career. Akerman also had a memorable recurring role on the third season of HBO’s hit series Entourage. She was recently seen in a special episode of How I Met Your Mother, and graces TV screens while co-starring in the third season of Adult Swim’s Children’s Hospital—a hilarious medical-drama parody.

Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Akerman moved to Toronto, Canada at the age of two. By age five, she had already begun to model and act in television commercials, and at 17, she won the Ford Supermodel of Canada search. After attending college as a psychology major, Akerman relocated to California to focus on acting. It was here where Akerman met her drummer husband, Roberto, while performing as the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Petalstones. The two currently reside in Los Angeles.

This biography/filmography of Malin Akerman is courtesy of Warner Brothers and the film, Rock of Ages